1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a graphics code system for transferring information with a graphics code such as a bar code or a two-dimensional code.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since an information transferring means using a bar code can be displayed or read relatively with ease and at low cost, this means has been widely used in many applications including POS (Point Of Sales) management for stores. In the prior art references, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-188846A and 2001-202429A, such a bar code information is displayed on the screen of a cellular phone unit, a portable information processing device, or the like. The bar code information is read by a bar code reader so that user""s ID can be checked at an event hall or the like.
However, the amount of information which can be transferred with a bar code is limited. To represent a large amount of information with a bar code, it requires a large display area. The same problem will take place when other graphics codes are used.
An object of the present invention is to solve the forgoing problem and to provide a graphics code system which allows a relatively large amount of information to be transmitted with a display device having a small display area.
The present invention is a graphics code system comprising a graphics code display device for displaying a graphics code to be transferred, and a graphics code reader for reading a graphics code displayed on the graphics code display device, wherein the graphics code display device comprises a display unit for displaying a graphics code, and code division control means for dividing transfer information to be transmitted into a plurality of pages of divisional information, converting these pages of divisional information into graphics codes, and successively displaying the converted graphics codes on the display unit, and wherein the graphics code reader comprises reading means for successively reading graphics codes displayed on the display unit, and code restoration control means for converting each graphics code which has been read by the reading means into divisional information, connecting a plurality of pages of divisional information, and restoring them to the transfer information.
The graphics code display device according to the present invention is for example a computer or a cellular phone unit, and has a display unit which can freely display data. The graphics code display device divides transfer information into a plurality of portions and successively displays them. The graphics code reader reads graphics codes which are successively displayed, connects them, and restores them to the original transfer information.
In the graphics code system according to the present invention, the code division control means of the graphics code display device is configured to add control information composed of a number which represents the order of the plurality of pages of divisional information and the total number of pages of divisional information to each of the plurality of pages of divisional information. The code restoration control means of the graphics code reader is configured to judge whether or not all of the plurality of pages of divisional information have been read corresponding to the control information added to each of the plurality of pages of divisional information.
In the graphics code system according to the present invention, the code division control means of the graphics code display device is configured to add an error correction code to the transfer information which has not been yet divided and divide the resultant transfer information. The code restoration control means of the graphics code reader is configured to perform processes for error correcting and detecting the restored transfer information corresponding to the error correction code.
In the graphics code system according to the present invention, a graphics code reading time period of the graphics code reader is ⅓ or smaller than a graphics code display changing time period of the graphics code display device.
In the graphics code system according to the present invention, the graphics code is a bar code.
In the graphics code system according to the present invention, the graphics code is a two-dimensional code.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.